Heras Birman
Small Danish Breed of Birmans
Kittens
I have had to pause my breed for the time being, but below you may read about what I used to do - and hopefully will be doing again sometime in the future.
I only breed the colours: SBI n (brown), SBI a (blue) and SBI c (lilac).
My females insist on giving birth under my writing desk in my study. And not only that, they want me to be present and "take them by the paw". They do tell me when the birth is coming up, and I have to accompany them to my study, otherwise they "scold" me. Perhaps difficult to believe, but that's how my females behave :-).
My kittens are sold only after personal contact when they are 12 weeks old. A standard written contract between me and the buyer is prepared stating facts about the kitten and its parents in accordance with the guidelines of Fifé, see more at the website of Féderation Internationale Féline The kittens are checked by my vet, inoculated according to the advise of the vet and both a vaccination certificate amd a health certificate are issued. And of course a pedigree is handed out to the buyer.
Before birth
I always try to find the "right" male for my females taking into consideration temper, body structure, fur and eye-colour. Sometimes a difficult task. My pregnant female gets food for pregnant cats of course, and I consult a vet if anything bothers me, or perhaps I want to know how many kittens to expect.
After birth
My females normally give birth without any problems at all. None of them has ever had a Caesarian section. The kittens have a normal birth weight and put on weight every day. I weigh them daily. In this way they also get used to my hands, starting socialization from day one.
Growing-up
When the kitten have eyes, I move them to another corner of my study. From the age of approx 4 weeks they learn to eat by themselves, they only get the very best cat food for kittens.
During the next few weeks they gradually get more room, from my study to the dining room to the whole house. Thus the kittens are with us alle the time, and they learn to use the cat toilet in an easy way :-).